Special Donation from Sister of Mercy

The College was delighted to receive a special donation of an art book collection from Sister Rosemary Crumlin rsm. Rosemary is a Parramatta Sister of Mercy, art historian, educator and exhibition curator with a special interest in art and spirituality. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours for service to the visual arts, particularly the promotion and understanding of contemporary and religious art, to education, and to the community. We warmly thank Rosemary for her generous donation to the College. 

Women in Leadership Forum

I warmly invite you to attend our Women in Leadership Forum coming up on Wednesday 26 May. This will be an opportunity to be inspired by renowned women from a variety of fields, as they share their perspectives on women in leadership and discuss how each of us can be courageous advocates with limitless possibilities. Speakers include: Melanie Silva (VP, Managing Director for Google Australia and New Zealand (OLMC Parramatta Class of 1994); Michelle Lee (Adventurer and Athlete); Prof. Deborah Richards (Professor, Department of Computing at Macquarie University); and Dr Natalie Galea (Feminist Scholar and Olympian (OLMC Parramatta Class of 1991). Click on the images below to read more about our speakers.

Visit this link to RSVP www.olmc.nsw.edu.au/wilforum/

Catherine McAuley Alumnae Winner for 2020

Yesterday at the College Assembly we were delighted to announce the winner of the 2020 Catherine McAuley Award. Kim Pearce (HSC 1985)  is a social entrepreneur who is the cofounder of the Possibility Project, a Sydney based social enterprise creating restorative justice through a slow clothing label called slumwear108. Collaborating with below poverty communities in India, The Possibility Project designs products and projects that bring positive social change to people and planet.  A former economics teacher, Kim hopes to help de-couple scarcity mindsets from everyday problem solving. She is a passionate advocate for the practical implementation of The Circular Economy, believing that all our problems can be solved by re-imagining what we waste within our current systems.

The Catherine McAuley OLMC Parramatta Alumnae Award is awarded each year to an outstanding ex-student. Introduced in 2009, the Award is a way of acknowledging and celebrating the great achievements of the OLMC Alumnae community.

Congratulations to Kim Pearce on this wonderful achievement and thank you for joining us for this occasion and sharing your story.

Anzac Reflection at Assembly

Last Tuesday the OLMC community held an ANZAC Reflection Assembly where we honoured the men and women who lost their lives during war time, defending the values, principles and freedom  cherished by Australians. Lieutenant Colonel Nerrida McManus (Class of 1991), a Nursing Officer in the Australian Army spoke to the girls about leadership and how the values taught at OLMC are similar to those of the ANZACS – friendship, courage, dedication, excellence and bravery.

Nerrida went on to say, ‘The ANZAC spirit exists in each one of us. As we face challenges in life… let us act with courage, resourcefulness, dedication and excellence. Let us look out for each other and never leave a mate behind. Let us strive to be worthy of the memory of those we honour on ANZAC Day. Lest We Forget’

Please see below in this newsletter a recount of this Assembly from two of our students as well as images.

Mother Daughter Mass next Monday

I am looking forward to sharing with all in attendance my first annual Mother Daughter Mass which will take place on Monday 10 May at 4.30pm in the Edith Angel Hall. I would like to acknowledge the work of our P& F who are instrumental in the success of this community event and I thank them wholeheartedly for all they are doing to make this a memorable time for all who attend.

Please RSVP for this event by May 3. Please feel free to invite grandmothers and special women in our students' lives to be with us too. 

Please CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Open Morning Tour and Twilight Tour

We were delighted to welcome over 20 prospective families to the College to during April. These smaller group tours allow for an informal, authentic experience of College life and the different times provide flexibility for parents. Prospective families are invited to join one of these tours. Click here to see when the next tours are coming and to book in.    

Lucie Farrugia
Principal

Students can book an appointment with the Careers Coordinator via the OLMC Careers website on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during term time. If parents would like a meeting, please ask your daughter to make an appointment at a time that she is also able to attend.

Term 2 is a very busy term for careers particularly for those students in Year 10 and Year 12. Outlined below are the key links to assist these students in their decision-making for subjects and university respectively.

Many students have also enjoyed the opportunity to hear from the universities directly during our lunchtime presentations. We have welcomed Western Sydney University, UNSW, ACU and UTS so far with Macquarie on-site next Wednesday 12 May.

Donna Jones
Careers and VET Co-ordinator

Last Tuesday, as part of the College Assembly, the OLMC community gathered for an ANZAC Day service to reflect, commemorate, and give thanks to all former and current men and women of the Australian Defence Force.

During the service, Head Girl Yasmine Alwakal laid a wreath of messages of thanks written by OLMC students. It was so lovely to see the College community come together in such a reverent manner, particularly during the Last Post and Rouse, which was performed by trumpeter Caitlin.

We were also very fortunate to have Lieutenant Colonel Nerida McManus CSC (Byrne, Class of 1991) join our service. Nerida has been a Nursing Officer in the Army since 2003 and is currently the Commanding Officer of the Joint Health Unit Southern NSW. She shared her reflections on ANZAC Day, and how being in the Army has taught her the importance of trust, comradery and 'taking a leap of faith.' Nerida kindly gifted the OLMC community a copy of 'The Anzac Girls,' by Peter Rees, a compilation of stories about Australian and New Zealand nurses in World War One.

After the service, we had the pleasure of interviewing Nerida about her accomplishments and memories of her time at the College. It was so inspiring to hear her advice for Mercy Girls and we are so thankful for Nerida's words and time.

Also a big thank you to Ms Carpenter and Mr Franklin for organising the service.

By Maeve Nolan and Mikayla Simpson

We began the year by congratulating our French and Japanese HSC 2020 students for their outstanding results, with the majority of girls achieving a Band 6. All students are commended for their diligence, commitment and perseverance, particularly under the circumstances last year. I would also like to express my gratitude to Mrs Lucraft and Ms Bujnowski for their dedication and continual support of the students.

The Languages Department continues to offer opportunities for students to wonder, discover and create as they learn in the target language and engage in activities.

In Term 1, Year 8 students were provided with the opportunity to participate in an inter-cultural experience titled ‘Tiguidou’. The performance allowed students to learn different cultural aspects of French Canada through the use of interactive comedy theatre. Tiguidou was presented on behalf of the High Commission of Canada in Australia, and our College warmly welcomed the Consul General Mr André François Giroux, who made the introductory presentation to our students prior to the show. Students experienced a very engaging show as they discovered the many facets of French Canada!

Language students have displayed their learning by engaging in a variety of tasks. In term 1, Year 10 French students completed a unit related to home life activities and describing their house, incorporating more complex and sophisticated language. To showcase their learning, they used Minecraft to construct their dream house and used their creations to compose a descriptive text in French for oral presentation. Year 10 Japanese students also applied their creative and linguistic skills to produce a Haiku depicting the theme of weather and seasons. Year 9 French students created a brochure in French promoting our College as part of their unit study of school life and leisure. They also engaged in a game of la pétanque as they learnt how to play this popular French sport.

Stage 5 French students attended an excursion to the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival in the city where they viewed the film Fourmi (Of love and lies), an uplifting family-friendly story. Later they enjoyed a delicious lunch of French galette and crêpe at a restaurant. The students were delighted to experience a full ‘French’ day where they could apply their knowledge and practice their language skills, particularly to order the meal!

Year 7 Spanish classes have been introduced to the world of Spanish and are now able to compose simple texts, applying their skills to communicate about their personal world. To demonstrate their skills and knowledge, students produced videos or podcasts in Spanish, which also incorporated a section where they were asked to explain some of the distinctive features of the Spanish language and its grammar system. There were some very creative videos and some even included a few family members!

Congratulations to all language students who, in mid-March, participated in the annual World Languages Championships conducted by Education Perfect. Students competed against students all over the world to respond to questions in the target language. It was a great opportunity to consolidate the vocabulary and grammar they have been learning and extend their knowledge of topics. At the conclusion of the 10-day competition, OLMC attained 13th place within our category (250 students) and 103rd ranking globally overall out of 1,894 schools. There were 54 certificates awarded to OLMC students. Congratulations to Tiffany Jie from Year 9 Japanese who achieved the Elite award (the highest level) with over 10,000 points.

We look forward to exploring more opportunities for our students to enrich their learning in the target language and provide more authentic and engaging activities.

Sheila Ibarra
Leader of Learning Languages

We wish to acknowledge the fact that the vast majority of our Mercy Girls take very good care of the College notebooks that are entrusted to them. We also know that accidents happen from time to time and this kind of genuine accidental damage is covered by our Accidental Damage Protection (ADP).

The ADP still requires families to pay an excess of at least $100 per repair, which is often a significant saving on the actual cost. This is why it is essential to have students present any notebook damage to the IT office as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary costs that can appear later if further damage is made.

However, there is also other damage that is not covered by the ADP which is identified as intentional or malicious by our assessors. In these cases, there is a significant charge by our vendors to assess, repair and restore the device to full functionality. In some cases this can be up to $1000. Please be aware that only genuine accidental damage is covered under the ADP as assessed within the agreement. Further detail is available in the Student Acceptable Use of Technology Policy.

If and when significant damage is identified by our assessors, we will seek to make contact with parents either via phone call and/or email when we identify that the damage falls outside of the ADP agreement. We will notify you of the predicted process and amount for that damage. From there, you will have the opportunity to request further information.

We evaluate our agreements and arrangements regularly to ensure that we are providing the very best device management program possible and will keep you informed if and when these arrangements need to change.

Please see below for guidelines as to how the College must consider damage in line with our insurance policies. A decision will be made with regards to charges depending on how long the student has had the device AND the level of damage as assessed by our vendors.

We hope to continue our very positive and well-managed process, where very few students need to experience this process. As stated earlier, OLMC students generally take very good care of their allocated notebooks so that they are fully functional for learning, each and every day.

Assembly Awards

Over the last fortnight, all girls in Debating and Public Speaking received their new badges. This amounted to over 150 badges. Most Year levels had their badges presented at Chapel but Year 7 girls were honoured with receiving theirs on assembly last week. Over 40 girls filled the stage for the presentation and we congratulate all debaters and public speakers for stepping forward to participate in these rewarding co-curricular activities.

Because of the large number of students involved, it is possible some girls were away when badges were handed out. If this is the case for anyone, please see Mr Ostrowski any lunch hour in B101 to collect yours.

Also on assembly last week, Deeya Vashi of Year 9 received a medallion for being a Grand Finalist in the recent CSDA Public Speaking competition. To reach the final is an exceptional effort and Deeya’s medallion will always remind her of her outstanding achievement.

Debating Round 1

The first round of CSDA Debating commenced last Friday evening and the result was simply stunning. Twelve teams debated against Oakhill and twelve teams won their debates. This remarkable achievement was the reward for lots of hard work from both debaters and coaches. Several teams came in over the recent holidays for workshops while others had lunchtime conferences in preparation. Particularly pleasing was the input of ex-students Jess D’Souza, Priyanka Sangar and Lily Tambrchi who have proven to be excellent coaches while Priyanka and Gabrielle Mizzi also adjudicated on the night. Thank you also to Miss James, Miss Knox, Ms Rowan, Mr Altura, Mr Hamey and Mr Palmer for training their teams so effectively. This perfect record may not happen every week but it is certainly an impressive way to begin the competition.

The girls who debated were:

7A          Isabel Homeiri, Vishnu Gude, Celeste Ieronimo

7B          A’ishah Ali, Pia Goradia, Lizzy Butler

8A          Bronte Herbertson, Sierra Lake, Jennifer Wang

8B          Stefanie Gabriel, Gabby Fleming, Alexandra Attard

9A          Neha Sharma, Jasmine Velasco, Megan Keller

9B          Tia Monga, Summer Rayne Roughley, Alyssa Taouk

10A       Arlene Kumar, Freya Scothern, Olivia Easton

10B        Sophie Assaad, Niamh Nolan, Ruwindri Parndigamage

11A       Stephanie Ogle, Sarah D’Souza, Sophia Santos

11B        Tarni Sutton, Tvesa Agrawal, Mikayla Simpson

Sen A    Riley Rodewald, Sofie Del Rio, Anne Nguyen

Sen B    Iris McKenna, Jeeviha Sangar, Sakshi Chouta

Thanks must also go to the girls who helped out as chairpersons, timekeepers as well as setting up debating rooms and showing hospitality to our visitors in so many ways. DAPS leaders Sabrina Catania and Anne Nguyen showed leadership qualities in welcoming our visitors as well as sorting out any problems as they occurred. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Altura who put so much effort into ensuring the evening ran smoothly.

This week, we travel to St Pius X Chatswood and next week, to Catherine McCauley at Westmead. We wish all debaters well in the rounds ahead.

Christopher Ostrowski
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator         

PDSSSC Cross Country

On Friday April 23 OLMC competed at the PDSSSC Cross Country Carnival. This year we competed at a new venue in the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park. The team consisted of Kasey Bolt, Nadine Fernando, Alexis Hedges, Mya Habib, Alexandra Attard, Caterina Valore, A’isha Ali, Jemima Scothern, Lara Griffiths, Zoe McIntosh, Mia Fogolin, Niamh Nolan, Elizabeth Harvie, Skyla Stewart, Lucie Francis, Emily Duque Herrera, Megan Keller, Sophie Assad, Sofia Polson, Charlotte Johns, Zsofia Varga-Strike and Mira Hamdan. OLMC had four girls qualify to compete at the CCC Cross Country Championships. Lucie Francis was crowned 15 years Champion while Kasey bolt (12 yrs), Niamh Nolan (14 yrs) and Sofia Polson (16 yrs) all finished top 5. A fantastic result for OLMC and well done to all the girls that competed. Good luck at NSWCCC! Thank you to Miss Connor for all her help with the team.

PDSSSC Soccer

On Friday April 30 OLMC competed at the PDSSC Open Soccer Championships at  Penrith. This was postponed from Term 1. OLMC kept their first game (against Gilroy College) scoreless for most of the match but unluckily allowed 2 goals near the end. Their next 3 games were fantastic, defeating St Andrews, Caroline Chisholm and Bede Polding. The girls all played exceptionally well and were unlucky to not score more goals. Unfortunately, OLMC finished 2nd in their pool and only the top team played in the Final. The team consisted of Trinity Tecala, Madeline Soyer, Annie Gittany, Charli Golds, Jasmin Kennett, Sophia Santos, Brooke Luksic, Kayla Allan, Jorja McMahon, Tayla Milicevic, Alissia Marrone, Emily Duque Herrera, Bianca Salloman, Niamh Nolan, Isabelle Zoghbi and Alexandra Attard. For such a young team the girls should all be very proud of their efforts. A big thank you to Ms Herd for all her help with the team - it was greatly appreciated.

Saturday Netball

The 2021 Netball season is now underway. The rounds 1 and 2 results can be viewed here.  http://erna.nsw.netball.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/draw.aspx

Saturday Soccer

Saturday Soccer for Term 2 has started. The new home venue has been great and the girls are all playing really well. Here are the results from rounds 1 and 2.

Round 1:

• OLMC 1 were defeated by Abbotsleigh, 3 - 2
• OLMC 2 defeated Abbotsleigh, 6 - 4
• OLMC 3 were defeated by Danebank, 4 nil

Round 2:

• OLMC 1 defeated PLC, 5 - 3
• OLMC 2 were defeated by PLC, 7 - 4
• OLMC 3 defeated SCEGGS, 10 nil

OLMC College Athletics Carnival – Friday May 21, 2021

The 2021 College Athletics Carnival is back and will be held at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Warm-Up Arena. The College Athletics Carnival provides a wonderful opportunity for staff and students to participate in a range of track and field events, whilst enthusiastically supporting their House. The students are encouraged to show their House Spirit by dressing up in their House colours and by cheering on their House at the Carnival. 

ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE CARNIVAL AS THIS IS A COMPULSORY EVENT and NORMAL SCHOOL DAY.

All students will be transported by bus from OLMC to the Athletic Centre at Homebush and back to OLMC. All students are expected to be at the College by 8am on the day of the carnival. Students will assemble in their House areas with their Homeroom Teacher, then move out to the buses. Students will be leaving the Athletic Centre at around approximately 2:15pm, with an approximate arrival time of around 3pm at OLMC Parramatta. Students will be dismissed upon arrival back at school.

Students who wish to be considered for selection in the PDSSSC Athletics Carnival will need to have registered their entry via the entry form that has been emailed to all students. CLICK HERE for the entry form.

Entries close on Friday May 14. Students do not need to sign up for 100m, 200m, 400m or 800m Walk. Students must sign up if they wish to compete in the field events, 800m and 1500m.

Students who want to compete in the Javelin will need to register and then, on the day, be on the first bus leaving OLMC. Once at the venue, please go straight to this event as it will be conducted from 8:45am before the rest of the Carnival.

The Carnival layout will be a Traditional Carnival and students will need to listen out for when their events are called. Students are encouraged to have adequate water, food and sun protection. Appropriate attire will be needed. Students who compete in Spikes must wear 7mm spikes.

No student is to bring their notebook to school with them on the Friday as they will not be taking the notebooks to the track. Phones will also need to be left at school. Unfortunately, parents will not be able to attend the carnival as SOPAC still has COVID restrictions on numbers attending.

A canteen will be available however, students are highly encouraged to bring their own food for the Carnival.

Staff and students are also encouraged to drink water throughout the day (especially if competing in lots of events) so that they remain adequately hydrated. Staff and students are also encouraged to make use of sufficient sun protection including sunscreen, wide-brim hats and long sleeve garments as and also follow COVID guidelines on social distancing and using hand hygiene throughout the Carnival. Anyone who is feeling unwell should not attend the Carnival.

If for any reason, such as illness, your daughter is unable to attend, please call College Reception (9683 3300) after 8am. A medical certificate is required for all absences and all absences will be followed up. In the case of wet weather, as it is a wet weather track, the Carnival will still go ahead. If in case of extreme weather conditions a final decision will be made in the morning on the day.

Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator

Opening Hours and Purchases: The Uniform Shop is open Monday to Thursday, from 8.00am – 9.30am, and 3.00pm – 4.30pm on Monday and Wednesday (school days only).

Online purchases can be made via the Online Uniform Shop (https://shop.olmc.nsw.edu.au/) and all orders will be delivered to the Student Centre for collection by students.

Winter Uniform: Students are to wear their winter uniform during Term 2 and Term 3.  For the senior winter uniform, the long sleeve shirt is optional.

Scarves: There are scarves available for purchase either online or at the Shop.

Tights: The Uniform Shop has tights available for purchase with the winter uniform.  If you are purchasing these elsewhere, the requirement is 70 denier opaque, colour - Ink Navy.

Old College Uniforms: If you have any old-style College uniforms (green and white/red), these items can be returned to the Uniform Shop for recycling.

Black Tights" The Uniform Shop has a small amount of black tights available for purchase for use outside of school, they are Kayser, 50 denier, opaques tights, $5.00 each. There are only 2 sizes available, M or XLarge.  These tights are not available online, and can only be purchased by visiting the uniform shop.

If you have any concerns regarding uniform items, please do not hesitate to contact the Uniform Shop on 8838 1275 or uniformshop@olmc.nsw.edu.au

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

A reminder that the Canteen is open daily before school from 8.00am (for breakfast) and during recess and lunch.

Parents can use Flexischools to order and pay for Canteen orders.

For more information about the College Canteen CLICK HERE.

Prayers for India

This week staff and students were provided with prayers to pray in Homeroom as a sign of our solidarity with the people of India who are in the middle of a COVID crisis. Our thoughts and prayers are with all staff and students who have family and friends in India at this time.

Loving Father,

Look with mercy and compassion on all you have created and, in your mercy, protect our families, friends and neighbours; those who are near and those who are far away. Let your loving hand guide, shelter and strengthen them.

We pray today for those around the world who continue to struggle with COVID-19 especially, at this time, for the nation of India. Heal and comfort those who are sick and suffering. Protect and guide the health professionals who are at the front line and give wisdom and courage to those who bear responsibility for confronting this challenge.

We make this prayer in your name, Amen.

Candela Peru Stall

The Mercy Action girls assisted in the sales of handicrafts made by the women of Candela, Peru. The money raised goes back to the women and assists in training and providing resources for income generation projects. Thank you to all who supported this worthy cause!

Mother Daughter Mass

We look forward to gathering for Mass with Fr Walter at 4.30pm on Monday May 10 for the Annual Mother Daughter Mass. Please make sure, if you have not already sent in your RSVP that you do it as soon as possible. Girls remaining at school that afternoon are reminded that they will need to return the permission note so that we can ensure adequate supervision.

RSVP for the Mother Daughter Mass here!

Mercy Engaged

Mercy Girls have resumed Mercy Engaged activities this year and, whilst we have recommenced in a scaled-back way, we hope to have more options available as the year progresses to enable students to put their Mercy Values into action.

Mrs. Hackett initiated a group to assist in covering books after school. The girls were trained and have been a wonderful addition to the Library Team.

EcoOLMC

Old and unusable candles have received a new lease on life through EcOLMC! The EcOLMC girls have started cutting up and melting wax from old candles, and are using jars to make fresh new candles with sweet smells - these will be available for purchase later in the year!

We have also started recycling a range of items and, in the coming weeks, will have a more permanent recycling station for bottle lids, bread tags, medical blister packs and ripped stockings - all of which can be recycled, upcycled and saved from landfill!

Gabrielle Scanlon
Director of Mission

College Uniform

This week all students must be wearing their full Winter Uniform. I ask for your assistance with this to please ensure that your daughter(s) are adhering to these rules. By doing this we are all supporting each other and strengthen the OLMC community.

I am sometimes asked why uniform is so important and I believe the answer to this is twofold. Firstly, the correct wearing of the uniform is about taking pride in how the girls present themselves personally and to the wider community.  As a case in point, I share a story with you that I recently shared with the girls. One morning late last week, College Reception received a call from a woman who felt compelled to share her experience about some of the students on the bus. She was travelling on the 501-bus heading towards Parramatta, and she said there were three students who made her morning. They were kind, thoughtful and well-dressed and represented the school very well. She said, “whatever the school is doing should be applauded”. Whilst I have no knowledge of who this woman is, I did reflect that those three girls, without their knowledge, may have been interacting with a prospective employer or guardian for a University scholarship, internship and the like. Thus, by simply taking pride in themselves in both appearance and actions, they may well have assisted the future of one of their Mercy sisters.

Secondly, as a College, we would like girls to understand the meaning and significance of boundaries, the need for adherence to these and what happens when they make the choice not to follow those boundaries. Some students do wear their uniform beautifully and we are finding ways to reward them. I acknowledge there are times when some students don’t wear their uniform correctly and they are perhaps not corrected immediately and thus there is a perception that some students “get away” with the incorrect uniform. I really encourage parents to continue to insist on enforcing the uniform expectations for their daughter for when we act together, we can enact change.

Below is a reminder of our College's uniform expectations:

For the Winter Uniform:

• The junior dress or senior skirt is to be worn at the correct length (at least 2 cm below the bottom of the kneecap).
• The College Blazer is to be worn as the outer garment to and from school in Terms 2 and 3. The jumper/cardigan is not to be worn to or from school unless under the blazer. Year 12 jerseys are also not to be worn under the blazer to and from school.
• Please also note that blazers are to be worn to House Assemblies in the Chapel and College Assemblies in Terms 2 and 3.
• Full-length navy 70 denier pantyhose are to be worn with the winter uniform (no knee-highs). There should be no ladders or holes in the pantyhose. Socks are not to be worn under the pantyhose.
• Shoes should be black, leather, low heeled and lace-up (there should be no coloured stitching; laces are to be worn). Shoes should be polished regularly.
• All items of the uniform should be clearly labelled with the student’s name.
• All items should be cleaned and pressed regularly (this includes Dry Cleaning).
• Undergarments should not be visible through the uniform,

JEWELLERY

• A small, plain watch and band can be worn.
• One gold or silver necklace with a small Christian Symbol may be worn.
• One small round plain gold/silver earring can be worn in each lower earlobe, eg. a sleeper or round stud. Studs with gems and pearls are not permitted. No other piercing is acceptable.
• One small and simple gold/silver ring may be worn - for example, a signet ring.
• No other jewellery is acceptable (this includes bracelets and plastic studs).

HAIR

• Hair must be clean, tidy and of natural colour. Balayage (dip-dyeing) or under layer hair dyeing is not acceptable.
• Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back at all times with natural coloured accessories or College green, navy blue, red, white or black ribbons, headbands, elastics or scrunchies.
• Styles known as undercuts, dreadlocks, multiple braids (with or without beads) or hair extensions are all unacceptable.
• The suitability of any hair style is at the discretion of the Principal, Deputy Principal or Director of Pastoral Care.

MAKE-UP

• Make-up is not to be worn to school at any time.
• False eyelashes or extensions are not to be worn to school at any time.

NAILS

• Artificial acrylic/gel nails are not permitted.
• Nail polish is not permitted.
• Nails are to be kept to a suitable length.

I thank you for your continued support of the staff in regards to College uniforms. 

Mother’s Day Classic

The Mother’s Day classic in recent weeks released the venues for the event. Unfortunately, Parramatta park is not one of those venues. Please refer to the website https://www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/local for a venue near you. We thank you for your support of this wonderful cause.

Ann-Marie Herd
Director of Pastoral Care (Acting)

Wellbeing Apps

There is growing support for the use of Apps in assisting to promote positive wellbeing. However, finding the right app for your needs can be a daunting process. Below are some of the apps that we suggest and have found to assist in reducing stress and teaching important skills such as deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation.

Calm

Calm uses concepts from mindfulness to promote meditation, sleep, and relaxation.

Although some parts of the app are free to access, there is also an option to pay for a premium subscription, which unlocks more content.

A 2019 study examining the effectiveness of this app in reducing stress in college students found that not only did it reduce stress, but it improved mindfulness and self-compassion.

Headspace

Headspace is an app that teaches mindfulness. It encourages daily use to practise mindfulness skills and reduce levels of stress.

A 2018 study looking at stress and irritability levels compared people completing the first 10 introductory sessions of Headspace with those listening to an audiobook on the concepts of mindfulness.

The researchers concluded that the reductions in stress resulting from external pressures, as well as in irritability, were more significant among the group using Headspace.

The app contains some basic content that is free to access. However, it also offers an annual or monthly subscription service for premium content.

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind was developed by a psychologist to encourage mindfulness practice for wellness, much like daily exercise, good sleep, and healthy eating. The app is free and has simple 10-minute daily meditations, which are broken into categories by age (7 - 9, 10 - 12, 13 - 15, 16 - 18, and adults). There are also specific programs for group use in the classroom and at work.

Breathwrk

The Breathwrk app takes the science of breathing exercises further by curating a collection of breathing exercises based on your goal: falling asleep, feeling relaxed, feeling energised, and alleviating stress. The app walks you through how to do each exercise and can send you daily reminders to remember to take time to focus on breathing.

I hope this guide helps you get started using some of these great Apps to assist in promoting positive wellbeing.

Sandra Portela
Senior College Counsellor

Many students come home from school and end up just waiting until they might ‘feel’ like doing schoolwork. Or else they drag everything out over the whole night. A much better way is each night have set allocated times for home learning. Many students find that learning in 20-30 minute blocks works well for them. During this time students should do homework first, then work on any assignments or upcoming tests, then use the rest of the time allocated for schoolwork to complete independent learning activities such as reviewing work they find difficult, making study notes or doing practice questions to build their skills. All distractions should be removed during this time, so students learn to focus for 20-30 minute blocks of time. It is a great idea to make a timetable of the home learning and place it on the fridge so everyone is clear when students are focusing and when they are doing other activities or having free time.

Some of the benefits for students of having set times allocated for home learning are:

• You are more likely to learn at home if you know when to start and when to end.
• You will be more effective when you remove distractions and learn to focus for 20-30 minute blocks.
• In all the times NOT allocated to schoolwork you can do whatever you like without feeling guilty about it.
• Having set times stops arguments between students and parents as everyone has agreed when the timeslots allocated to students will be.
• You know that you are definitely doing enough work for school.
• Keeping your home learning and personal life separate means you will be able to manage all of the distractions in your life and still complete your work for school.

Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. You can also print a sheet outlining independent learning activities (click on the More menu then on Things to Print). Our school’s access details are: